This Council is committed to continuous environmental improvement and will adopt a set of policies that reflect its concern for the quality of the local and global environment. 

The Council will:

• Raise awareness of environmental issues amongst its staff and residents and work force of the town to encourage a greater responsibility towards the environment.
• Aim to reduce its own energy consumption and promote energy conservation in Burgess Hill.
• Purchase goods and services from environmentally accredited sources.
• Encourage facilities and schemes that reuse, recycle or minimise waste both within the Council’s operations and within the town generally.
• Use environmentally “safe” methods for grounds maintenance and avoid the use of environmentally harmful pesticides.
• Promote the use of composting and oppose the use of peat based products from non-sustainable sources.
• Encourage the community to keep the town litter, dog excrement and graffiti free.
• Involve the community in protecting and enhancing open spaces, trees, waters and hedgerows by encouraging the development of local nature conservation strategies and the residents groups to support them.
• Promote cycling, walking and the use of public transport.
• Monitor the Council’s performance in accordance with the Environmental Charter by an annual audit.

In 2011/2012 initiatives included recycling grass verges that had been cut back by turning them into top soil, reducing Tourist Information and Help Point brochure and leaflet waste by using website ordering for customers, composting grass cuttings produced by the Maintenance Team for use on other sites, and reducing the use of plastic bags in the Town Council offices bins.